4 Non-Negotiable DemandsSunday, October 30, 2011“Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” – John Wooden If I could put every John Wooden quote on this blog, I would. The legendary UCLA basketball coach has so much incredible wisdom, both in the realms of sports and life. Maybe his “Pyramid of Success” can be a future blog post… Last night my brother and the DePauw University Fighting Tigers traveled to the University of Evansville for a pre-season exhibition game. There’s nothing better than basketball in Indiana, so to say that I’m excited for basketball season to be upon us would be an understatement. I came across a great article that my brother had been interviewed in and mentioned the following: 4 NON-NEGOTIABLE DEMANDS 1) Be a great teammate 2) Give a great effort 3) Be coachable 4) Hold yourself and others accountable These words of wisdom got me thinking. And because I’m a true believer that sports not only teach us valuable lessons on the court but more importantly teach us crucial lessons about LIFE, I related these 4 non-negotiable demands to my job/life right now. Here’s my take on these 4 non-negotiable demands from a consultant and leadership development point of view: NON-NEGOTIABLE Let’s start with “non-negotiable.” You do these things because you are expected to do them. There is no discussion here; it’s understood that when you join the team or sorority, these are your expectations. As Tony Dungy said in his book Quiet Strength, “No excuses. No explanations.” BE A GREAT TEAMMATE When you join a sorority, you become a part of something much bigger than yourself, and this is something I think a lot of chapter members across the country struggle with. I’ll admit, sometimes it is hard to see the big picture. But, that’s no excuse. Not only are you expected to be a team player for your own chapter but also for the national organization. That means abiding by all policies and procedures and putting aside your personal beliefs and goals for the good of the overall chapter and national organization if the two do not line up. We are all in this together. Think about how great we could be if everyone made a promise to do anything for this “team.” Be a great sister and continue to move the sorority forward. As my volleyball coach used to say, “It’s amazing how much gets accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit. Play for the team, not for yourself.” GIVE A GREAT EFFORT Really, that’s all I ask. If you are trying to follow policies and procedures and if you are trying to do the right thing for your chapter, I already have so much respect for you. It’s when you know there’s something wrong and you choose to do nothing about it that we start to have a problem. Be brave. Try. Make an effort. If you’re going to fail, make sure that it’s not because of a lack of effort. You’ll look back in 10 years and wish that you would’ve done something. There’s absolutely no excuse for a lack of effort. Another great quote from my brother, “If not now, when?” No excuses. Stop procrastinating and give a great effort no matter what and do what needs to be done. BE COACHABLE I think we can all agree that in sports, the coach does his/her job because he/she wants you to succeed no matter what. Every little thing the coach does is because he/she is trying to set the team up to succeed. When you’re running all of those timed suicides in practice and the coach is screaming at you because you can’t do anything right, it’s hard to see the reasoning. But, at the end of the day, you know why the coach does what he/she does. In sorority world, it’s no different. I can only speak for myself, but especially as a consultant, know that we are here to help! We are sort of like a coach, and we want nothing more than to help each and every chapter succeed. We are not there to tattle or to get you in trouble. Talk with us, be honest with us, and give us a chance to help you. Be coachable and remember that we have your best interest in mind at all times. We want to give you the best opportunity to succeed, but we can only do that if you are open and willing to listen to our suggestions and work with us to develop solutions to any problems! HOLD YOURSELF AND OTHERS ACCOUNTABLE Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. Make sure that you are completely committed to your position and that you will do whatever it takes to fulfill your responsibilities. Don’t be afraid of confrontation and holding other people accountable! The team is only as strong as the weakest player, so if someone is falling behind, help them and pick them up! Don’t just let it slide. Do something to fix the situation by holding every single person accountable. As our Creed says, believe that our given word is binding! Alright, off my soap box now. The college student-athlete in me comes out every now and then. J
Reunited and It Feels So GoodThursday, October 27, 2011“God gave me you for the ups and downs. God gave me you for the days of doubt. For when I think I’ve lost my way, there are no words here left to say, it’s true…God gave me you.” – Dave Barnes/Blake Shelton Let the Dave Barnes vs. Blake Shelton argument over which one is better begin! Yeah, it’s cheesey, and yeah, it’s more of a love song, but I am so grateful for the people that God has placed in my life right now. More on that later! The day had finally arrived…last Friday all of the consultants (minus 1 L) flew back to Atlanta for our Mid-Semester Training at HQ. That whole morning I was like a little kid on Christmas morning just waiting to open my presents. We all were so excited – as I’m sure you could tell on facebook and twitter. I couldn’t sleep at all on my flight and that NEVER happens. I first spotted Lauren E and Jillian at baggage claim #9 and ran over to them once I got my luggage. Kaitlyn picked us up at the airport since we were the last ones to arrive and we headed straight to the Dolce. To say that the 9 of us created a scene in the hallway once we were all together would be an understatement. Screaming, cheering, squealing…you name it. I’m pretty sure our neighbors HATED us. Oh well. The party moved to my room and we spent a good hour just catching up on everything! Julie, Hanna, and I headed over to HQ to return the van and to say hi to everyone. We should’ve been on our best behavior, but once we arrived, we were just too excited to see everyone. It’s just nice to finally get to see all of the people in person that I talk to on the phone on a weekly basis! That night we headed into Atlanta for dinner once Cindy finally arrived (I created another scene at the airport when we picked her up J). Jamie and Hara joined us at Tin Lizzy’s and it was just so much fun. Sitting by Jamie at this dinner was much more exciting than sitting by her at the first dinner back in July J Friday was a pretty chill night for us since we had to head to HQ early-ish the next day for training. The National Council and Foundation Trustees were also in town for the weekend, so that made training even more fun. Hara had been in and out of where we were training the entire day, so when she came in around 6:30pm and asked if we were ready to go, we didn’t think anything of it, and simply answered yes. She then said, “No, I mean, are you ready to GO?!” Hara, what are you talking about? is what I’m sure our faces all looked like. Then, Hara pulled 11 pieces of paper out of her purse – “what is THAT?!” we all asked. “Sugarland tickets, ARE YOU READY TO GO?! The concert starts in an hour!” WHAAAAAAAT?! We were all SO surprised – Julie even started crying! We have the best boss ever and work for the best sorority ever. I know I’m biased, but seriously – I’ll save the sentimental stuff for later. So we headed to the concert where Sara Bareilles opened for Sugarland. It was such a good concert! Country concerts are one of my favorite things in the world, and we all had a blast that night. We were normal 22-23 year olds just hanging out together. SO. MUCH. FUN.  ledman and moilar GATOR CHOMP Who Says You Can't Go Home?   "I was playing country music all day in the van to give you guys clues." - Hara trust me, we had absolutely no idea. We headed back to HQ on Sunday morning to do some more training through presentations that we had each prepared. I, of course, wore my Colts blue that day since they were playing the Saints that night. I was sad I wasn’t in New Orleans for the game, but seeing as they got massacred, it’s probably best that I was in Atlanta. We went to our favorite place in Peachtree City – Taco Mac – that night and had the best time. We also had the brilliant idea to buy matching t-shirts there. And don’t worry, we topped that brilliant idea with an even better one as we wore those shirts to work on Monday since we were allowed to dress down.   we were a walking advertisement for Taco Mac.  "excuse me ma'am, you can't do that." On Tuesday, Kerri came over to the Dolce to have breakfast with us. We love Kerri’s Korner, and it’s even better when it’s over breakfast. Nothing better than starting your day with a good laugh J Only because of how awful my photo shoot was during training in July, I have to mention that we had another mini-photo shoot Tuesday morning. I only had to take 2 pictures and there were no special poses, so I survived…barely. Tuesday afternoon we did something that I’ve wanted to do for so long. We headed to Macon, GA to do a heritage tour and to see where Phi Mu was founded! We first went to Mercer University to meet up with our tour guides, who were two current members from our Phi Mu chapter there! Then we headed over to Wesleyan, where Phi Mu was founded. We went to an archives room in the library to see old Phi Mu composites, pictures, and even the diploma from one of our founders! We walked around campus a little bit and saw some other Phi Mu historical places.  such a pretty Greek Village on this campus! Then we headed over to the Cannonball House, which is a historical landmark that houses the Philomathean Room. The Philomathean Room has so many old artifacts and is set up just like the chapter room was at Wesleyan when there was still a Phi Mu chapter there. So much history, so cool to be there.   part of the Philomathean Room and our sweet/funny/awesome tour guides for the afternoon! Finally, we headed over to the gravesite of one of our founders, Martha Bibb Hardaway Redding. Very cool and a little creepy at the same time.  hard to believe I was actually at the gravesite of one of the FOUNDERS of Phi Mu! After that we headed back to Peachtree City and had to face the inevitable…it was time for us all to part ways again. A few of us woke up early on Wednesday to have one more breakfast at the Dolce before everyone left. For us being so excited to meet up just a few short days ago, we were all so depressed to be leaving each other again! It really was sad to say goodbye to everyone because we probably won’t be reunited again until the beginning of January. They have literally become my best friends and I couldn’t do this without them. Not going to lie, there were definitely some tears that morning! We just had so much fun during training. And like I said earlier, I talk to these girls all the time, so it’s nice to actually get to spend time with them in person instead of only talking to them on my cell phone. "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." - Psalm 100 I cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am for where I’m at in my life right now. Among so many other things, at this moment, I’m most thankful for the people who I never in a million years would have thought I’d be friends with, but God has a way of knowing just who to place in your life at the right time. I honestly could not have asked for a better group of people to work with and thank God everyday for bringing these women into my life J
Not a Fan of GoodbyesWednesday, October 26, 2011
"Where is the good in goodbye?" - anonymous
Laying in bed. Can’t sleep. Not ready to leave in the morning. There will be tears. So much fun the last 5 days with my sister friends. Sentimental blog to come J
Sister FriendsWednesday, October 19, 2011“I have a dream too, but it’s about singing and dancing and making people happy. It’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And I found a whole group of friends who have the same dream, and that makes us sort of like a family.” – The Muppet Movie Ok, I’m finally all caught up on these updates. New goal: never get this far behind again! I’ve got a crazy week ahead with finishing up work from last week and with work here at Tulane, but it’s good to be back and it’s good to be busy. Plus, I get to see all of my friends on Friday! Phimucc Emily shared that quote with all of the consultants a few weeks ago, and I absolutely loved it. It’s so fitting for this Phi Mu family that has been created as a result of this job.  the Top 10 just won't be the same with only 9 of us there...miss you already Hump! CLARIFICATION: Hump will not be joining us because she's going on a Phi Retreat with the chapter she is working with this semester. No worries, the leader of the Top 10 and only 2nd year consultant has not bailed on us, she's just being responsible and doing her job. Can't wait to call, text, email, facebook, tweet, HeyTell, etc. her the entire weekend so it's like she's there with us. #sinp We’ve been on the road now for over 2 months, and I think it’s safe to say that we’ve grown from 10 complete strangers who just happened to be sisters from across the country, to best friends, to family…thank you for being there through the ups and downs with this job, when I need a laugh, or when I simply need someone to say “I understand.” I couldn’t imagine this year with anyone else but you guys. Can’t wait to see you all so soon!!
Home is Where the Heart isTuesday, October 18, 2011
“Mama said home is where the heart is when I left that town. I made it all the way to West Virginia and that’s where my heart found exactly where I’m supposed to be, it didn’t take much time…” – Lady Antebellum
Home! The last time I was home was July 24. I think I just set an all-time new record for time spent away from home! Wow. I can’t believe it’s been that long! Needless to say, the weekend at home was AH-MAZING and just what I needed to recharge my consultant batteries J Let’s go through a little timeline of my trip home, shall we? Friday morning/afternoon: I was at the University of Evansville finishing up my visit and my grandparents drove 2 hours from their home to come pick me. Spoiled? Yes, a little bit, but they are the best grandparents in the world. It had rained the day before, which actually turned out to be perfect timing since my grandpa couldn’t get in the fields to farm that day. So we got to my grandparents house and just relaxed. Sitting there talking with my grandparents will never get old for me. There’s nothing better than the Hoosier Hospitality that my grandparents have and just how much of a home they’ve made their house to be. My grandma starting cooking dinner and I finally caught up on my sleep and took a much needed nap! I woke up to my mom at the house, since she had left straight from work to come pick me up! It was so good to see my best friend. We had a great family dinner and my uncle who lives down the road also joined us. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my weekend at home! Friday evening: After dinner we visited for a little longer and then decided it was time to start making our way home before it got too late. We decided as we were leaving to go just a little out of our way and stop by my brother’s apartment! He’s gearing up for basketball season and 2-a-days, so it was nice to stop in and see him before his life gets crazy with basketball. Friday night: We finally got home and the relay across Indiana was complete! I’m pretty sure I collapsed in my bed as soon as I finally got to say hi to my dad who had to work that night. Mom and I went shopping on Saturday (our favorite thing to do) and I finally updated my traveling wardrobe! Remember, I get 2 suitcases and that’s it, so I’ve been wearing the same 10 outfits for the last 2.5 months! Saturday night I got to catch up with one of my good friends and just relax. Sunday was such a low-key day for us. Just spending the day with my family was good enough for me. On Monday, mom and dad both took off work. We got lunch and headed over to eat at the lake. I’m convinced that there’s nothing better than an Indiana fall and that view at the lake was amazing! It was pretty chilly, but I’ve missed the colder weather! After lunch we had to start heading to the airport, and just like that, I was gone again. My mom posted this quote and it was incredibly fitting for the weekend, “Enjoy the little things in life…for one day you’ll look back and realize they were big things.” I had work and my parents had work, but we all temporarily put them on hold for the weekend just so we could spend time together. If there’s one thing I will always brag about, it’s my family. They are the best and I have been so blessed by having them in my life. Saying goodbye to my parents at the airport was hard to do, almost harder this time than it was in July! But, being able to say “see you in 9 days” was a lot easier than having to say “see you…uhh…well…I’m not really sure…hopefully before Thanksgiving!” Counting my blessing and counting the days until I’m home again J
Inching My Way Home“I know you see me like some wide-eyed dreamer that just rolled in off a dusty Midwest bus. Yeah, on the outside I look fragile, but on the inside is something you can’t crush.” – Gwyneth Paltrow Last week I got back in my traveling routine and visited two chapters before making my way home for the weekend (that’s another full blog to come)! First stop: Western Kentucky University or WKU because “you can in Kentucky!”  home of #phimucc Hanna The chapter was so welcoming and even had a little sign for me when picking me up at the airport in Nashville. How sweet! *See previous blog on the importance of knowing who is picking you up at the airport J I arrived in my room to way too many snacks but just enough Diet Coke to get me through my visit! I also enjoyed getting a piece of Hanna’s mail that still comes to the house in my folder with materials for the visit.   I stayed in the President's room and made fun of Hanna for her subscription to Shape Magazine. I visited at such a busy time for the chapter with Homecoming festivities (they won the Shenanigans dance competition! So proud of them!!) and also Big/Little week. Even with the busy schedule, they treated me so well. They were on time to their meetings, took me to fun meals, gave me a campus tour, and even helped me play a little prank on Hanna. See, Hanna deserved it after the little stunt she pulled a few weeks back with Emily while they were at UK (see previous blog). I may have told her a little white lie that the chapter wasn’t being nice to me and that they weren’t showing up for the meetings. She completely fell for it, so naturally I had to keep the prank going. I honestly didn’t think she would fall for it. The sweet President Sara even got in on the joke and we had Hanna believing every little bit of it. I finally ended the joke the night before I left and Hanna was more relieved than anything…although, I think she’s still a little mad that she fell for it J  the living room of the cute little chapter house where I had all of my meetings I even got a picture with the coveted Karen Towell Award that the chapter won last spring for the Best Sisterhood on campus, and I believe it! They are so deserving of that award, and Hanna even showed me some of that amazing sisterhood as she set me up with some of her friends to hang out for the evening since I didn’t have any meetings that night. Love those phimuccs, always looking out for each other and helping a sister out. Second stop: University of Evansville BACK HOME AGAINNNNN IN INDIANAAAAAA! I was ecstatic to be back in my home state! When we crossed the Ohio River into Indiana I freaked out a little bit because I was so excited. I hadn’t been home since July so it was a big deal to be back in the Midwest! I also had a great visit with this chapter! Unfortunately, I was only there for 1 full day, so I didn’t get any pictures and that one day was jam packed with meetings. The chapter was so accommodating and willing to work with my schedule for my relay across Indiana to make my way home, and I could never thank them enough for that. I literally felt like I was inching my way home as I flew from New Orleans to Nashville, then drove from Bowling Green to Evansville. But, it.was.so.worth.it. A big thanks goes out to these chapters for listening to me talk about how excited I was to be heading home!
Back to the Beginning“A journey is best measured in friends not miles.” – Tim Cahill Holy cow it’s been awhile! Sorry for that. It’s definitely been a busy few weeks, but here are some updates finally! October is off to such a good start, and I can’t even describe how happy that makes me! First stop: Oklahoma State University, where this whole adventure began. I was there for 10 days for workshops and recruitment at the beginning of the year, so I was so excited when I found out I would be headed back. Top 5 Reasons it’s fun to re-visit this chapter: 1) I know who is picking me up from the airport and what she looks like! You laugh, but imagine riding the escalator down to the baggage claim hoping that an 18-22 year old will have on some type of Phi Mu paraphernalia so I can find her. More times than not, that doesn’t happen and I have to try and find someone who is staring at me (since I know they’ve looked me up online and on facebook to see just what they would be dealing with J). So, this is a BIG DEAL when you know who’s picking you up at the airport! 2) I know the chapter and campus already. 3) I know the house mom, which is a big deal since my room is right across from hers. 4) The house mom’s grandson ran up to me as soon as I arrived and gave me the biggest hug. 5) I was literally tackled by a chapter member as she hugged me because she was so happy that I was back. Making friends along the way is a big part of this job and it’s one of my favorite parts. It’s so fun to reconnect with some of these members that I built friendships with during my first visit. I also got to catch up with a good friend who was an AOPi consultant last year who now works for their National HQ. We got dinner one evening and it was just so nice to meet up with someone who understands the job and understands that having 2 hours away from consultant world can work wonders! I didn’t get any pictures since it was such a short visit, but it really was fun to be back. See you in December, Stillwater!
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